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The Practice of Outsourcing pp 123–158Cite as

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IT Outsourcing in Public Sector Contexts: Researching Risk and Strategy

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Abstract

The origins and history of a single case study of large-scale IT outsourcing in the 1994–99 period is investigated in the United Kingdom Defence sector. Such deals are high risk and we describe types of risk and how the client organization sought to mitigate these. These risks and mitigation approaches are then analyzed against a distinctive risk framework formulated for IT outsourcing. Risks emerging in terms of type and scope of outsourcing; vendor selection criteria and process, the role of the contract, retained capabilities and management processes, and partnering and relationship dimensions are then assessed against other research findings. Two additional distinctive risks are identified from the case history arising from the public sector context and supplier long-term market strategy. A contribution of the chapter is the revised risk framework for analyzing IT outsourcing that is then presented. Finally, we highlight the implications of these findings for future research and practice.

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Authors
  1. Leslie Willcocks
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  2. Mary Lacity
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  3. Thomas Kern
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© 2009 Leslie Willcocks, Mary Lacity and Thomas Kern

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Willcocks, L., Lacity, M., Kern, T. (2009). IT Outsourcing in Public Sector Contexts: Researching Risk and Strategy. In: The Practice of Outsourcing. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230240841_6

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